How to Get Rid of Hornets & Wasps Fast Using Home Remedies

Wasps and hornets can be safety hazards, especially if there are swarms of them in or around the house. Wasp stings can lead to allergic reactions, and in worst case scenarios, lead to anaphylaxis. We would like to warn you in advance that it’s not easy to handle wasps and hornets safely, but if you are comfortable and knowledgeable enough to handle it on your own then here are some home remedies you can try to get rid of the wasps and hornets around the house. Make sure you have the proper safety gear on before trying any of these remedies.

How to get rid of wasps and hornets

1. Destroy the Nests with Soapy Water

All it takes is some soapy water to eliminate the hornets and wasps. First, get a pressurized sprayer and pour in some soapy water. Our suggestion is to mix a spoon of dish soap with a quart of water. Next, wait until it gets dark (night is typically the time when wasps are confined to the nest) and start spraying the wasp nest with the soapy water.

The soapy water will clog the wasp or hornet’s spiracles and kill them almost immediately. The spiracle is the part of the body that the insects breathe through. This remedy works best if you are only dealing with a small wasp nest.

2. Set up Decoy Wasp Nests

If you are expecting wasps or hornets to start appearing at your home with the weather starting to get hot then you could try deterring them by setting up decoy wasp nests. Wasps are supposedly territorial so they are unlikely to build a nest in an area that already has one. The success rate of this method appears to be mixed as some people state that the decoy nests might end up just being used as a source of material for the wasps to use.

Given how cheap this method is, we still think it’s worth a shot but keep in mind that it’s more of a prevention method. It won’t do much against wasps and hornets that have already made themselves home in your yard.

3. Create a Sugary Bucket Trap

Wasps have a craving for sugar so this low-maintenance home remedy is an efficient way to get rid of wasps and hornets in and around the house. Grab a bucket and mix the following inside: sugar, warm water, and a few drops of dish soap. You could also try using ingredients like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice instead of sugar. The wasps will make their way to the bucket in search for sugar. When they land on the sugary solution, they will drown almost immediately. The dish soap will allow this to happen because it breaks the surface tension of the water.

The one downside of this home remedy is that it doesn’t discriminate. It may also other drown other flying insects that are considered beneficial insects like bumble bees.

Common Wasps FAQ

Will wasps go away if you knock down the wasp nest?

Knocking down a wasp nest won’t get rid of them by itself, but it’s part of the process. Simply knocking it down will anger the wasps and provoke an attack on whoever is nearby, humans and pets alike, so be careful when attempting such a thing. When dealing with a wasp problem, tackling the nest at night is the best option, as most workers will be inside the nest resting and inactive, allowing a safer approach and broader disposal.

How long can a wasp live without food?

Wasps can vary wildly on how long they can survive without having any food. Their survival depends on several factors, such as species, colony ranking, age, and current weather. It can be from a couple of days up to a few weeks. Some species have different feeding habits, as some prefer sugary foods, while others will hunt for meat. The ones that require sugar have higher energy maintenance, so they need to feed often, making them starve faster if not fed properly. The worker wasps also have a significantly shorter lifespan compared to queen wasps, as queens can live several years, while workers only live for a few months at most.

How long do hornets live?

A hornet’s life varies depending on species. An average worker has a lifespan of approximately 12 to 22 days, while the queen can live up to a full year, meaning that fertilized queens are the only hornets actually to survive the winter. Hornets can’t endure the cold, so if you spot a nest near your house, you can wait for the winter for them to die out. If you see hornets near your home, do not attempt to dispose of the nest yourself.

Best time to spray a wasp nest

The best time to spray a wasp nest is either very early in the morning or at dusk, as this is the time where the wasps are still asleep and have significantly reduced activity. It’s essential to take safety measures when attempting to spray a hornet’s nest.